Test Match Special - The Ashes: Root scores first hundred in Australia.

Episode Date: December 4, 2025

Simon Mann is joined by Jonathan Agnew, Glenn McGrath, Phil Tufnell and Andy Zaltzman to review an absorbing opening day at the Gabba where Joe Root was the star.We also hear from Zak Crawley who made 76 plus Australia’s wicketkeeper Alex Carey.

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK. This month in football, everything is up for grabs. The Premier League battles intensify, the Champions League reaches its crucial turning point, and the World Cup draw sets the stage for the biggest tournament on earth. Football Daily from the BBC brings you sharp analysis, instant reaction, expert insight, and the stories driving the game on and off the pitch. Your Essential Football Podcast Delivered every day.

Listen to Football Daily on Spotify to Football Daily on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts. You're listening to the TMS podcast from BBC Radio 5 Live. Roots on 98. Boland from the far end comes running into many bowls to root.

It turns out into the leg side. This should be it. This should go at least for four. It has gone for four. and Joe Root has done it and his 30th innings in Australia he's managed it he's scored his first hundred and what a fight it's been what a battle at the close of this first day of this second Ashes test match England 325 for 9 the 30th attempt in Australia Joe Root has made his first ever hundred to

to guide England to a position from which they've got something to defend when they come out to bowl on the second day. Aruh, 135 not out at the close of play. Joffre Archer, 32 not out. They added 61 for the last wicket in 44 balls. After England, we're 5 for 2, then the recovery. Zach Crawley making 76 after his pair at Perth. Harry Brooke out for 31, playing well and had a big drive

to a wide delivery from Mitchell Stark. Stokes run out for 19 brilliantly by English Jack's making 19 there was a recovery then and England lost wickets Atkinson out for four and casts for naught We thought England were going to be bowled out Ordeclare they played some shots

It came off and so England Up to 325 for 9 by the close of play Jonathan Agnew is with me Glenn McGrath is with me Well Jonathan Pick the bones out of that What sort of day was that? Another roller coaster wasn't it

A roller coaster you mentioned that Joe Roots been there most of the day He actually faces a 16th ball, didn't they? Five for two, he couldn't help us thinking, oh, here we go again on the back of Perth, and it just felt like it was going to be another shambles. But five to two, 122 for two, you know, excellence down there. I think the story of the day in a way is that England got into positions again, and you have to say that once again, it's been poor shot selection

that's cost them those good positions. Zach Crawley won't be pleased with his shot. We got to 76, caught behind pulling Niso, who's, I didn't think it was really, up to much today, to be honest. And I think we ought to say this is not a top-notch Australian attack. It really isn't. I mean, this is very much second division, apart from Mitchell Stark, of course.

So therefore, surely, you treat Stark with a bit of caution, don't you? But Harry Brooke didn't. Again, a good recovery, 176 for three. The first ball he faced of him of a new spell, it was an appalling shot, I'm sorry. And you wonder, we talked a lot about what England could learn from Perth and the lessons learned. well you look at that shot and you think I'm afraid Harry Brooks learnt nothing

and we said the same thing at Perth about the way that he plays I'm sorry but the last three test matches he has played really poor shot you have to say that he was largely responsible along with Root for England losing the last test match they played against Indy at the Oval they were set they should just knock those runs off

and won the game they didn't Perth awful shot in the second innings and then today here 31 he he's got so much talent and I think the reason for my frustration and I think most people's frustration is unless he does knuckle down and focus on the broader aspects of the game he's not going to fulfill his incredible talent and that would be a real shame because he is immensely talented he's got an incredible eye his statistics are superb a lot well some of which

based on those innings in Pakistan but you know he's not going to he's not going to fulfill it if it bats like this he's just not he's he has to learn to play for a situation and just to use some intelligence and just play sensibly. It's very, very frustrating. He does, he got the hard work done today and threw it away just at a time that England could not afford to lose a wicket. The light was closing in, the lights

were on. That is a time, surely as you saw from Stokes and Root, you're knuckled down, you work hard, it's not easy. And Stokes tried really hard. I mean, the run out, well, people do get run out. He just misjudged that. It was his fault. He pushed and ran and Root wasn't going anywhere. Brilliant piece of fielding from

English. Brilliant catch from Kerry later on as well by the way but then Jacks before him had also played so well and so calmly and supported route and then suddenly Stark's on brainstorm time swishing outside the off-stumpy missed the first one Nick the second

so for me it's that England again have shown a lot of promise a lot of opportunity they've got to those positions but they haven't quite make the most of it I thought 350-360 was a pass score they might still get it but they're doing it the hard way and meanwhile at the other

end watching this was Joe Root, who's done it at last. He's head and shoulders above the rest, isn't he? Just the way that he plays and going back to Brooke briefly, he must watch Root. He must watch Root and to see how Joe Root plays. He hasn't got like Joe Root, but the same mental approach that Joe Root has. Sometimes he's got to work hard, he got to really fight. Even someone of Root's talent, he's 40 test hundreds and, you know, all the pressure on him today, there's so much written about him, and the Aussies have had giving him a hard time.

You know, he's not a great player. All that stuff. He knows. Average Joe. Yeah, all those things. And what I love was that little shrug at the end there. He's looked at the players and just shrugged his shoulders. What's all the fuss about, boys?

You know, I knew I was going to get it. Well, there was no guarantee he's going to get it. But, you know, the century in Australia aside, that was a superb hundred. With everything else that was going on around it and the conditions and all of that, that was just a superb hundred. The fact of his first in Australia is kind of coincidental, really. What did he do so well? knuckled down, fought hard.

Risk-free, risk-averse until he played some shots at the end. He left a lot alone. None of those booming drives that he got out to in Perth, for instance. He was much more careful with his shot selection. And to come in as early as he did, and the pressure really on,

you can see him talk to Zach Crawler. You see him talk to, well, the others who came in around him. He's there, he's in control. He loves batting. He's at home when he's batting. And he was just, that was a really masterful innings today. Glenn, from an Australian bowler's perspective,

how would you characterize England's batting and shopmaking today? Jonathan talked about, you know, Harry Brooke. For example, Zach Crawley played actually very well. And then, you know, didn't go on when you felt he could have done. Obviously, there's Joe. Let's talk about, you know, some of the shopmaking to start with them. We're talking about Root. Yeah, it was an interesting start to the day.

England won the toss, selected to bat. And two early wickets, we thought, oh, here we go again, similar to Perth, but the way Crawley and Root bat, it, yeah, they had a little, there was a little bit of luck, element of luck there, but you'd need that when you're going to bet well. But, yeah, you know, listening to Mitchell Stark at the end was interesting. You know, the new pink ball is tough in normal condition. Under lights, it's incredibly tough, but he said that ball went soft.

And up at Brisbane here, that happens a lot. When you've got, when you're bowling, he said it is tough to fall. force it because it's not coming on as well. There's a little bit of tennis ballie bounce out there. And the ball's not doing a great deal. We saw just move a little bit in the air, not a huge amount of seed movement once that ball got older. So, and yeah, so it was, it can be tough.

Mitchell Stark just showed how important he is to this team. So, but it's a type of wicket. You've got to give yourself a chance. Get used to the pace. Tennis ballie bounces, as I said, get used to that. That's a little different. Tomorrow will quicken up. it'll come on quicker so

we'll see how that goes. So is that good for the bowlers or good for the batterers? Well it depends you know if it's if once that ball gets older but it's coming on okay but it's it's soft and it's not doing a great deal we'll wait and see it's it's hard to judge what this pitch

is going to be like they only have three mils of grass on there so I think the way Joe Root batted he's summed up the situation and yeah apart from an early edge which didn't carry you know I know Steve Smith got his hand to but that would have been an unbelievable catch but after that he looked solid he didn't look under pressure he looked like he had time there was a session where they went hard bowling short when he was out there with

harry brook and they just even joe root looked like didn't want to leave a shot alone they were playing every short ball pulling hooking but you know he looked he looked good so i think there's not a lot of fear in this pitch um you know mitchell stark you look at the wickets he's got just pushing them across and chasing wide ones. So, yeah, I'll be interesting to see how England bowl on this pitch and just see exactly how it is and see if they picked up any little things. But, you know, Australians, the way Brooke got out, the way, who was it, Jack's got out and a few other wickets, you probably wouldn't see Australia chasing those wide ones as much,

but, you know, I guess you won't know until tomorrow. So Mitchell Start takes six for 71. Was it a six for 71 performance? I mean, the figures are there. But were a few of those, I mean, he throws it wide, isn't he said, go on, have a go on, have a go at that, and then he'd fall into the trap. Was it, was it that, was it a masterful bowling performance, or just canny? That was quality.

You know, he's bowling with confidence, and when bowlers of his calibre ball with confidence, they take wickets. And, you know, he's just pushing him across England batsmen, you know, bowling that wobble seam. He's got 23 wickets in his last five innings, like it is. But you know, you know, England doesn't. want to leave them alone and he knows that as well so it's you're still got to get them out there just in that full just that area and just uh yeah and uh wickets will come someday it's your day others it won't but uh yeah yeah you've got to adapt and and bowl to your bowling plans to every

batsman they'll have bowling plans to these batsmen you know and one of it is pushing wide because they don't want to let the ball go what about that sting in the tail at the end i It was interesting that last hour. I was actually fascinating cricket, wasn't? It was fascinating throughout for all sorts of reasons. You know, the subplots, Zach Crawley coming into the match on a pair. Mitchell Stark, the king of the pink ball.

Joe Root, can he get his hundred in Australia? And the highs of that brilliant catch by Kerry, the wonderful runout from English. But that last hour where England were, well, frittering wickets away, there were nine down. 264 for nine. Yeah, with about 45 minutes left. And you think, well, I mean, we go back to Edgeburton,

and the last actually, sir, England declared about 290, or 390 rather, for eight, with rope out there on 100 and scoring freely. What did you think? Do you think they should have declared? I think most people thought that they would... Well, what happened was, obviously, they went out there to play the shots,

so they got out with England and Marine Bowling, and so that would have saved that decision to have to be made. But I say, I think out of the back here talking, everyone I spoke to Australians and English are like, what's going on? It should be declaring, this is all rather unusual, Stokes is actually a very proactive captain, too, isn't he? He doesn't like a sort of a stagnant period.

But he didn't get a stagnant period. Just explain why you would declare with Root over 100. Well, because you have the chance maybe of getting one or two Australians out in the lights. That's the point with the new ball, and particularly if it is Travis Head, for instance. But it got to a stage where probably they'd have sent into the lower order bats on anyway, a night watchman. But, you know, it was really refreshing cricket that, actually, to see Joe Root. everyone back and to give him the license to have a go with Archer at the other end. Archer plays on excellent shots as well.

He's no mug with a bat. He's really sort of underperformed really test cricket with the bat. He's better player than we've seen a lot of him. But he did play well today. And sometimes, you know, like the Australians, when you're wasting a bit of time, when you've got your mind on something else, we don't want a bat here, so we're going to slow it down. We're going to, you know, actually you can get nipped.

You know, you just lose that positive drive of your play. you can get stung a bit and that's what happened there they suddenly didn't bowl terribly well everyone out on the boundary doesn't help and you have to say fair play I think that's worked those those those runs

those 61 runs I think you'd take that even above getting one wicket tonight Glenn? Interesting I think England got more runs than what Australia would have wanted to

but as Mitchell Stark said you're bowling with a ball that's doing nothing it's soft it's not swinging it's the best conditions to bat in so i'm not surprised they got some runs i was a little bit disappointed with they didn't bowl good bounces the australian they didn't mix up the pace but i would have still been tempted to declare with you know 40 minutes to go you know 40 minutes at them out there you're probably sitting what was it 260 yeah 26 if they come in tonight you know there was potential for australia to be four down tonight if they're down 4 for 20 tonight

with defending 260 what would you prefer? 260 on the board 4 for 20 or 9 for 325? You wrong 4 for 20 wouldn't you but you're not guaranteed it. You're not guaranteed it but let me tell you bowling under lights with a new pink ball is normally

as tough as it's ever going to get. That's why you want to have that to bowl with the new ball under lights but it's only 3 mils of grass out there. That's the difference so if they left normal would have done more you're not guaranteed it but let me tell you

it's a lot easier to pick up four wickets in half an hour bowling on this wicket in these conditions than first thing in the morning so yeah well we'll wait and see there's a lot of time left in this game maybe we'll get to see new ball under lights in the next two or three days and just see what difference it would have made

the timing being perfect England would have done that smash 61 come running off and bowl three overs or four overs or something that would have been the perfect timing wouldn't it with that momentum whereas tomorrow probably probably You imagine that Archer will get knocked over fairly early on as play resumes. And then you go out and start for fresh, don't you? But you do take that momentum with you sometimes.

But you can't have everything. I think that England are still batting tonight. That's a little tick that they got through that. Australia would have preferred to have them bowled out. OK, focus. We know when we're batting in the morning and what have you. But the fact that England got through that last period, they're nine down, they're still batting.

I think that's a win on top of the score and everything else. With the possibility, as well, of some more runs tomorrow, if Archer can support Joe Root. What do Australia do? Are they all out on the fence again? Well, they've got six overs to get through of an old ball that's doing nothing and soft. So, yeah, it's going to be interesting.

Yeah, it is. Zach Crawley's mum's about to get a horrible shock because he's about to be on camera back home, I think. You can see his haircut. Well, yeah. Well, that haircut seemed to work for him today now. He plays a beautiful shot. Yes, he did.

I mean, a man under pressure as well, when you think, you know, you're coming off a pair. You must, however much you stay off social media and stay away from newspapers, all that sort of thing, you must know the chatter out there, you know, when you've got a pair in your first test. But you know it yourself, don't you? I mean, you're sitting on a pair, and you know, he's known for 12 days. He's going to be facing Mitchell Stark again, the first over, with a pink ball, and he's just got him out twice, his bagged a pair. I mean, that's, yeah, to...

Is it pressure? They play with no pressure. I think Baz doesn't want their players to have any pressure. Yeah, but he's also, he's also human as well. Exactly, exactly. You've got to feel it, haven't you? I think to come out and play out that today is a good effort. I must say, you played a beautiful cover drive early on off Mitchell Stark,

and that got him away. That got him going. And there was that little, you know, you wonder if Steve Smith had reviewed that? You'd definitely be given out. Yeah, so where things are out. So you've got to chance your arm. And, you know, I like Zach Crowley. I like his attitude.

And, you know, I've met him a few times. he's trained with my old trainer. And when he's going well, he's just such a good-looking batsman to watch. He's tall. It's just the way he strokes through the ball. So, yeah, I'm glad he did well today. Yeah, on 15, well, it looked as if he edged one through

Australia, half appealed. It wasn't really concerted. And then they could have reviewed it. They didn't. And then when we saw the DRS, there was just a little scratch on it, which suggests that he would have been out for 15. And England would have been 21 for 3. Root as well was dropped. Difficult.

A low down by Smith, diving in front of Labashane at first. At first slip, it would have been a brilliant catch if he'd got it, Root picked up before. And, well, the rest they say, it's history. Now, Joe Root isn't doing interviews tonight. We'll hear from him tomorrow, but we can get some reaction from the England camp because Zach Crawley has been speaking to Henry Moran. Really good day, I mean, unbelievable day for Joe. He's had that coming for a long time.

He deserves it. I mean, probably the best player I've ever played with her against. And, yeah, he's made us have a good day as a team there, so we're happy. We'll get on to your innings shortly, but this is something that has been discussed, not just this tour, but several tours before Joe Root, not quite getting that 100 in Australia. It's felt a big thing. Yeah, I mean, it hasn't been a big thing for him, to be honest. That seems to be the outside noise about that.

You know, he's just, he's actually, I came on the last tour here, and he played really well just on some green wicket. It's got a couple of 80s. And, you know, sometimes just think of the rubber the green. And he didn't even need the rubber of the green today. He just played a flawless knock. And when I watched there, it was hard to believe that he hadn't got 100 here. You know, it was such a great knock.

And, yeah, he made it look effortless. So, yeah, he deserves that. He worked so hard in this game. And, yeah, it's a brilliant player. What does that mean to the team to have that sort of moment at a difficult start of a difficult start to a tour, but seeing something that really can bring a side together like that? Yeah, we were so excited up there.

Everyone was smiling. We were nervous for him. I was nervous for him. About 20 runs out. Everyone was talking about it. like what is he going to do with the celebration and stuff and no we were so just chuffed to bits for him so yeah no absolutely

and he's going to you know he deserves all the credit he gets from all the lads and from everyone how are you feeling when those two wickets fell at the other end early on in the day to day to Mitchell stark it felt like a tough moment for England that yeah it was obviously a great start by them a couple of you know really

good ball and a bit unlucky for Popey so but you know that was me last week so I know how it feels so you know It's just the nature of the beast at the top of the order, and I knew it was just going to get a bit easier if me and Joe could bat for 10 overs or so, and it proves to get a little bit easier,

so we managed to put some runs. Has it felt a long 11 days for you personally coming into this game, and how significant for you is it to get those runs today? Yeah, it did feel long. I think it would have felt long if I'd have got loads of runs, it was a big old gap, but yeah, I was really pleased with how I played. Obviously, one more. I was gutted when I got out,

and felt like the pitch was just getting really flat, actually, when I got out so obviously very disappointed but standing here now I'm happy with 76 and I feel like we're in a good position that partnership at the end there there was many saying that England should declare get half an hour with the with the pink ball under the lights what was the chat in the dressing group the chat was to go hard and if you got out then we can have half an hour of them and if you if you got some runs then they could be crucial runs and they proved to do the latter they got some crucial runs 50-run partnership there at 10th wicket is a phenomenal effort and puts us in a good position tomorrow, I think.

Do you think it's England's day on account of that partnership? I do. I mean, I'm not sure what the Aussies would say, but I think sitting here as an England player, I think it's our day, yeah. The pink ball has had a lot of criticism, there's been a lot of talk. How was it out there? It's interesting. It definitely plays differently from the Red Ball. Like, if it hits the shiny side, it kind of skids on, and if it hits the seam, it kind of stops in the wicket.

So it's different. You just got to adapt and play, and it's definitely a different sort of cricket. I mean, I didn't bat under lights today, but they say it's hard it's about under lights. so we'll have to see hopefully that's the case when we start bowling tomorrow and just finally

is the buzz cut the secret I know I wouldn't say that I mean half the team we've got a buzz cut now it's so hot here in Brisbane so no but I like it I might stay

well played today Zach thanks or not sir Zach Crawley talking to Henry Moran so England's day according to Zach Crawley

we'll find out tomorrow we'll just see Australia about and give some context that England's score of 325 for 9 of course they have

power to add because Joe Root is still there on 135 and Joffar Arches there on 32. I just want to chat to Glenn about the composition of the Australia team. Nathan Lyon left out of this match, five seamers, so going with the England tactic

from Perth. What did you think about that? Yeah, it was a little bit surprised to be honest, I thought Nathan Lyon he does have a pretty good record of bowling with a pink ball, but yeah, I'm not sure what they were thinking. I think a lot of it comes down to the fact that it gets dark quite

early here can sit you know compared to say adelaide at this time of the year because of that time difference and no daylight savings so they thought majority of the play will be played in twilight or dark where it probably um assists the fast bowler so whether that was part of their thinking i know uh nathan lyon got hit in perth and that's why he didn't bowl much in the wasn't really required but he got hit in the nets on the ankle so they're saying none of that played a part. So I dare say they thought the ball might do a little bit more, and especially under

lights. So yeah, it was a little bit surprised with the bowling attack we went in with. It feels, Jonathan, from this position, you go back a few months. If you said that the second test match for Australia there would be no come-ins, there'd be no Hazelwood, there'd be no lion, and

Weatherald would be in the Australian team and English, Nisa and Doggett, thought okay we can live with that absolutely which is why again the first test performance was so so disappointing because england should have won that first test match and they have got these injury problems we've talked about their pace attack creaking and being elderly and so on they made the decision not to play nathan lyon in this match i mean i have to say i think that that that bowling attack of australia is the poorest i've seen since 1011 i mean it's it's pretty bog standard trundley fast medium um which half

the day was instructed to bowl bounces, which actually is not their natural game at all. I mean, take Mitchell Stark out of that. He's brilliant. He's an outstanding world-class bowler, but the rest of it, I thought, was really second division. And it just looked it today, and I was, you know, Smith's tactic to get them running in bowling bounces, I thought was a bit

unkind on them, really, because it's not what they're used to doing. I mean, doggard is a pitch-ed-up, swing it, the ball away sort of bowler, and he's running in bowling half-track, he's gone for, what, five and a half-and-over? And, what, Nisa has got what, he's gone three and over one for 43 but Boland I mean he had a bit of tap there at the end 90 overs one made and one for 87 yeah I mean without Mitchell Stark yeah exactly and and you could say it was a case in Perth I thought too I mean he was head and shoulders above above the rest there and this is why the frustration was for Perth because Australia is vulnerable it is vulnerable and we know we know that's the case we know their batting is vulnerable um yeah it's interesting looking up on the screen at the moment this game this day has just finished what showing on the telly here we've got Travis heads smashing England around at

Perth already up on the television screens if it's sort of come on lads to the Australian players below I mean it's quite bizarre but that's kind of what it's what it's like over this part of the world I don't know I think they've been playing on a loop ever since I tried I went into my hotel room in Canberra and I turned on the television the first thing I saw was was head reaching his hundred so just shows what the England players have had to put up with the last 12 days they've been photographed at all sorts of ways there's drones flying over the golf courses there's there's a paparazzi outside their hotel doors there's

snapped on scooters without helmets on. I mean, it's been pretty relentless. There were five for two, and they've fought through pretty well there. 325 for nine. That's not a bad score, I don't think. Tupper's here. What did you make of Australia's decision to leave out a spinner?

Well, interesting, just listening to John there, you know, saying that, you know, the rest of it was second division. What you get with Nathan Lyon is not second division, don't matter what colour ball it is, what pitch it is. You know, he can hold up an end, he can get wickets. I can guarantee you that large. pair wouldn't have got 50 if Nathan Lyon was there as the spin bowler so yet they might be ruined that decision a bit gives you control gets your wickets when the

other guys as you say apart from Mitchell start were just looking a little bit frayed wouldn't they so yeah there is still room for a spin bowler we're always the first to go you know get rid of that spin up but England are not playing their front line spin either but I think I think the reason for that is I think that they both had a bowl at Lilac Hill didn't they and you know I don't know whether there was too much or a difference between, you know, and it gives you so much more with the bat. But Jack said so for a while, though,

what did he can do with the bat, didn't he? He played very calmly. He was playing really beautifully for Root and then had a brainstorm when Stark came on again. I know, I know. A few soft wickets there, but I mean, this and I shall start well bold. How did you see the sort of final analysis?

Tell us, whose day did you think it is? Well, I know. It's an awkward one, isn't it? You know, Australia could go out and blaze it around and play really well. Smith, Head and these. I think England would be happy with that. You know, from the position they were, when we were all hiding under the desk here, you know, five for two, you know, they've dug themselves out of a bit of a hole.

They showed a huge amount of character. One thing we know about this side is that they have that character, and they have the tools in the toolbox to do that, and they perform today and got themselves out of a bit of a hole. So I'm just giving it to England, just by a nose. But it could have been better, some of the stroke-making, shot-making? Yes, I agree. I agree. You know, I mean, it's very skillful, very good bowling for Mitchell's start, but it's just kind of like, you know, run it across and we'll go and have a little fish for it. You know, but take nothing away, you know, great piece of bowling.

But I think a few of the guys will be looking at the highlights real with their sort of head in the hands, just thinking, oh, why did I chase that one? Yeah, okay, well, one person who was very happy for them to chase them was Alex Carey, the wicket keeper who snapped a few actually caught one he kept brilliantly and he caught a brilliant catch as well to get rid of Gus Atkinson

running back towards fine legs so it's time to hear from Alex Carey he's been speaking to Corbyn Middellmas and the ABC commentary team a bit up and down really yeah obviously started really well with the ball we saw a pretty good partnership form

with Crawley and Root and then got back in the game after lunch after tea, whatever we call these sessions. And then obviously, you know, that late partnership was pretty crucial for them, I think. Could have been worse, could have been better. But yeah, I thought Joe played an outstanding innings. I think we all know probably what that meant to him in Australian soil.

But, yeah, like I said, probably could have been better, could have been worse. Who took the honours on day one? Well, I think it's a pretty good pitch. Would have been nice to bowl them out there late. yeah I think any time you're still batting at the end of day one these days it's pretty rare so yeah England played well we're look we're really confident we're in the game we've got a good opportunity when our time comes to bat I thought there probably wasn't a lot of sideways movement a little bit of shape in the air but yeah we also saw runs in that last session we

saw runs in the first session we saw wickets throughout so hard to say Kess, a bit of inconsistency in the surface? Because noticed a few deliveries fell short of you on occasions. Yeah, I think it's a pretty good pitch. Maybe put it down to the pink ball. I think we saw a lot of times the boys trying to change it. They were saying you can almost put it out of shape with your hand. Like it just felt soft at times.

But yeah, look, it produced runs and produced wickets. So look, I think the wicket's pretty good. the ball was performed probably the way we thought it was going to. You had him nine for 260. It was a good position. Obviously, a late little cameo from Joffra. Yeah, it would have been nice to get him out early. Kears, that catch running back over your shoulder.

Talk us through what was going through your mind when that ball went up in the air. Well, yeah, I've had football days. I've had players trying to tag me. Marnis was one of them today and just out bodied him late. So he talks a big game in rugby, but yeah, AFL came through there, I reckon. GWS giants, eh? It was an incredible catch. I mean, I was on air with Jaxi at the time

and we were obviously at the far end of the ground. I thought, geez, is he hung on to that? And almost not the crowd had the same reaction where you knew you'd taken it, so did bars. Oh, so did a big smile on his face. Yeah, he almost kissed me. I think he did kiss me now, but, yeah, one of those ones. Yeah, you'd just go hard early and put in the dive.

But, yeah, well, for sadly, we had a pretty good day. It would have been nice to wrap it up there, late. Did you miss the spinner at any stages throughout the day? I don't think so. No, I think we chipped away. And like I said, like the position we got ourselves in, we stayed in. I think it was four for 200 at one stage,

then nine for 260, and then a late little burst there. So, no, I thought, look, it's always going to be tough to leave out a player like Nathan Lyon. What I have learned in the last few years, these selectors have done an amazing job in making the big calls, making the right calls a lot of the time, and we've had a lot of success throughout the past few years with them in charge.

So, yeah, I'm looking forward to getting back out there tomorrow, hopefully wrap up that first wicket and get batting. And your fellow wicket-keeping mate, Josh Inglis, goes okay, bare-handed as well? And again, that's probably, that changed a little bit of a course of the day as well. we all know what runouts could do we got a couple of back to back so yeah that was a nice that was one of the best runouts I've seen actually

it was pretty special it really was it was a brilliant piece of work from English to run out Ben Stokes and it started England's collapse but they did recover towards the end so that's Alex Carey talking to the ABC commentary team

now last but not least we're going to hear from Andy Zaltzman because well we saw a remarkable achievement from a notable achievement from Joe Root today but what else did you spot? Well let's start with Root as his long-awaited first hundred in Australia

and his 16th test and 30th innings here is 40th in all that puts him fourth on the all-time list I've just lost my staff I'm pretty sure that's fourth he's now converted 23 of his last 40-50 plus scores over the last five years into centuries, having converted 17 of his first 66. So over half since then. He scored as many

hundreds in the last five years as Kevin Peterson, Varenda Seward, Justin Langer and Javid me and dad did in their entire careers. So it puts in context quite how extraordinarily consistent he's been in that time. That sort of covers the end of his captaincy and the basball era. It's 135 not out. Four more runs will be England's highest individual score in the first innings of a gabber test. Currently, Ian Botham's 138 in 1980. There's only England's 8th century in tests at the Gabba. Three of them were scored in the 517 for one innings in 2010-11, Cook, Strauss and Trout. England only had four other hundreds in 21 previous Gabba test before Roots today.

The 10th wicket stand with Joffre Archer, is England's highest in Australia since 1982-83, when Pringle and Cowans put on 66 at the Gabba. England's third highest 10th wicket stand in Australia since 19034. And it's made up for those ducks. We saw four more ducks by England. Nine ducks already in the series. That's the second most England have ever had in the first two tests of an Ashes series. Six of the top seven have scored ducks already in the series so far.

Zach Crawley out for 76 for the fourth time in his career, setting a new record for most times out for 76 by one player. And the other dominant player of the day, Mitchell Stark, superb once again, six for 71 from 19 over, the rest of Australia's bowling attack, two for 249 from 55. Stark in the series 16 for 184, an average of 11.5, and the rest of Australia's bowlers collectively 12 wickets average just under 38 per wicket. And Stark, in the process, became the highest wicket-taking left-arm pace bowler in test history overtaking Wazim Akram in the course of this series. He's already moved up from

joint 23rd to 11th in the highest wicket takers in England v Australia Test Cricket. And very rare Australian side we've seen today. It's the first time Nathan Lyon has missed a home test for 70 matches at home and it's the first time they've only had one of Lion's Stark, Hazelwood and Cummins in a team since 2014. So Stark once again, as he often has when some of the others have been missing, stepped up superbly. Stokes, actually on Roots innings, it was an innings that showed all of his skills. It had three phases, essentially. Classic Rootian beginning, 61 off 94.

Then over the dusk period, and with wickets falling at the other end, really restrained 27 off the next 77, and then either side of his hundred, 45 off the last 31 balls that he faced in the day. So three phases of route showing quite an adaptable player he is. And just finally, Ben Stokes has run out the first time England's captain has been run out in an ashes test since Tony Gregg in 1975, just over 50 years ago. And the first time in England captain has been run out on Australia since 1962, 63. I think that's my favourite start of the day.

It's a bit niche, but it's my favourite start of the day. Yeah, it's a rare occasion. Yeah, there we go. Okay, Zoltz, thanks very much indeed. Now you can watch highlights on the BBC Sport website and app now with our full highlight show available on the BBC IPlayer every day from 5pm. Look out for the TMS Ashes Debris with Alex Hartley, also on IPlay with guests today, Michael Vaughn and Glenn McGraar. BBC Sounds is where you'll find all our podcasts and plenty more content. Just search Ashes and we're back on air from 3.45 a.m. Friday for the second day.

You're listening to the TMS podcast from BBC Radio. This month in football, everything is up for grabs. The Premier League battles intensify, the Champions League reaches its crucial turning point, and the World Cup draw sets the stage for the biggest tournament on earth. Football Daily from the BBC brings you sharp analysis, instant reaction, expert insight, and the stories driving the game on and off the pitch. Your essential football podcast delivered. every day listen to football daily on spotify to football daily on bbc.com or wherever you get your podcasts